A support system for a medical apparatus is, for example, manufactured by Carl Zeiss of Oberkochen, Germany, under the product designation “NC-4-Floor Stand” and “NC-4-Ceiling System”. Corresponding support systems are also offered by the Leica Company under the product designation “OHS-1 Floor Stand”. The Altvic Italia Company likewise offers such support systems for sale. These support systems have several linkage arms which, for example, support a surgical microscope. Wiring harnesses are mounted on these linkages which supply the surgical microscope with electrical energy and make possible the transmission of data with a video system. Also, these wiring harnesses can be in the form of light conductors and make available illuminating light for illuminating regions to be viewed.
German patent publication 2,643,780 discloses a tiltable floor lamp which includes a ball joint having a cable passthrough in the lamp base. A telescope tube arrangement is accommodated on this ball joint wherein a lamp cable is guided. Limiting pins and limiting bars are provided in the telescope tubes in order to avoid an excessive twisting of the telescope tubes relative to each other.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,219, a ball joint is described which can be clamped tight by means of a cap nut and which is configured to have a cable passthrough. This ball joint is part of a connector.
Surgical microscopes utilized to carry out surgical procedures can hold the danger of a source of infection. For this reason, sterile drapes are usually pulled over the surgical microscopes for surgery. The drape ensures, on the one hand, a freedom of germs and, on the other hand, protects the surgical microscope against contamination. Surgical microscopes are increasingly used in dental work and in the area of ENT medical practice on an everyday basis. In this area of use, the requirements as to sterility and cleanliness of apparatus are not as high as in operating rooms. Nonetheless, an easy cleaning of apparatus and instruments which are utilized in this area is desirable.
Freely guided cables, recesses and projections on a support system can, however, be cleaned only with difficulty.